Mina and Kyle -- Pre-simming
by DarkJaina
Summary: A love story about the struggle of Chapman's other, unknown daughter and her new friend Kyle, as they struggle to avoid the Yeerks, thinking they're alone. **It is suggested you read the simming to understand this story!** However, it will make sense on i
1. Default Chapter

*****

Title: Mina and Kyle -- Pre-simming  
Author: DarkJaina

Timeline: When the Animorphs are 15 or so to when they are 18.   
Spoilers: Andalite Chronicles, book 23, The Simming  
Summary: A love story about the struggle of Chapman's other daughter (the one KA didn't know about) and her new friend Kyle, as they struggle to avoid the Yeerks, thinking they're alone. **It is suggested you read the simming to understand this story!** However, it will make sense on its own.  
Disclaimer: Jake, Cassie, Rachel, Tobias, Marco, Ax, Loren, and Arbron do not belong to me. These amazing characters belong to the Great Ms. Applegate. ::bows:: Kyle and Mina are mine. ::pause:: Well, okay, maybe Kyle is Nicole's, but she gave him to me!

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Mina and Kyle -- Pre-Simming

Part 1/4 The Meeting

~*~*~*~*~

Mina Chapman sighed as she walked into yet another new school. She hated all this constant moving around Loren made them do. Sure, she loved Loren like she would have loved her real mother -- if she remembered her -- but Loren could be too ... paranoid sometimes. Oh well. Mina supposed she better make the best of arriving late yet again during the school year. But dammit, she had liked Wyoming! It was all open country, and she could spend almost all her time riding her horse, Mask. The wind blowing through her hair, as she and Mask raced away from phantoms they knew were there but could never quite see or understand ...

She went through the motions that were so familiar to her by now: go to the principal's office, exchange pointless pleasantries which neither of them wanted to make anyway, get her class schedule and go to her homeroom. She always came in early so she could watch all the other kids come in.

Surprisingly, there was someone in the room before her. When she looked at the clock, she saw she was a full half an hour before "normal" kids started arriving. Who was this boy sitting in the back of the room, reading a thick book? As Mina sat down on the other side of the room (but still in the back where she could see the door), she looked closer at him. She gasped. He was gorgeous! Mina felt her heart flutter and immediately chastened herself. He was just a guy. Some guy who liked coming into school early and reading books.

But she kept stealing glances at him over her own book. As other students began filing in, she found distractions and forgot about the boy for the time being while she observed her new classmates.

Eventually, the bell rang and the homeroom teacher began attendance. Mina rolled her eyes and thought, same old, same old. When would these teachers get some originality? Suddenly, she was jolted out of her stupor by hearing her name.

"...Mina Chapman and Kyle Starr, your two new classmates. Kyle, Mina, please stand."

Mina slowly stood up and looked around for the other new student. Her eyes widened as they met those of the cute boy on the other side of the room. He was new, as well! Shocked, Mina slowly processed that the teacher was asking her for a little information on herself.

"Uh, m-my name's Mina Chapman. Um ... I'm 14 years old and I moved here from Wyoming."

The teacher waited a few seconds, as if expected her to say a little more, then nodded at the boy. "Kyle, would you please tell us some things about yourself?"

The boy, Kyle, nodded. "My name is Kyle Starr." Mina tried to appear casual. He was looking straight at her as he talked! And she couldn't look away. "I'm 15, and I have no family." Then he smiled -- only at her.

The teacher smiled a bit, then nodded. "Thank you Kyle. The bell will ring in a moment, students, but first there are some papers ..." His voice droned on as first Kyle, then Mina sat down. Finally, Mina was able to look away from him.

What was wrong with her? She had never stuttered like that! She would always keep her cool, looking at each of the students as if daring them to make some move, _any_ move at all. But worst of all, she had never fallen for anyone so quickly.

Kyle wasn't in her next class, or the next, which gave her time to mull over her feelings. She quickly decided that it was just some stupid crush that other girls got because of some guy's looks. This Kyle was probably arrogant and boring, anyway.

This particular school had "block scheduling," which meant they had two one and a half hour classes, then a two hour class during which the classes rotated a half hour lunch period, then one more one and a half hour class. It was all pretty stupid to Mina, but it did mean less homework.

Mina had lunch before her third class. She carefully picked out her table after buying her lunch. She had already designated into groups most of the girls in her classes, so she knew what tables to stay away from. Luck was with her today, she thought. There were plenty of empty tables she could pick from. Again, she chose one where she had her back to the wall and could watch the door and the people simultaneously.

Mina cautiously looked at her lunch and was thankful this school had decent-looking food. Tasting a bit of the hamburger, she found its taste was also decent. That was one plus for the school.

Suddenly, a tray was set down before her and someone sat down across from her. Looking up quickly, she saw it was Kyle. What was his deal?! She really wasn't in the mood to be stalked.

But Kyle didn't say anything. He just ate his hamburger, watching his food. Mina frowned at her Jello. This was new. She suddenly wanted very much to say something to him, anything. Finally, she blurted out:

"Why don't you have any family?"

He looked at her, and suddenly she felt dizzy. His eyes were a dark blue, the deepest blue she'd ever seen. It seemed his eyes held all of his soul, right there. She could see so much hurt and confusion ... but such strength, courage, and hope. Mina was frightened and intrigued at the same time.

Mina blinked. What was _wrong_ with her? _Get a grip!_ she screamed at herself.

Kyle, unaware of Mina's conflict, looked as if he was expecting the question. "My mother gave me up as a child. My adopted mother and father gave me away when I was two. My next caretaker decided I should ... I would be better off without him, and he left me at a boys' home this summer. I have to come to this school. What about you?" He startled her with his rapid sentences and quick change of the subject. "What family do you have?"

Startled, she hurried to respond. "My mother and father gave me to my caretaker, Loren, when I was 2, as well," she said. "We've been moving all over the place since." She paused, then added, "I have a horse."

Kyle nodded, his shoulder-length, curly, dark hair bobbing back and forth. "We were both unwanted."

Mina blinked a few times, flustered. She had no time to think about her answers, about him. The conversation was going too fast for her to process things. He had been given up three different times? That might explain the hurt she saw. Suddenly, Mina wanted nothing more then to take the hurt out of this beautiful boy's eyes.

"What's your horse like?" He changed the conversation again, veering to more pleasant topics. Mina had the feeling that, by exchanging the very personal information about their family situations, in his eyes that meant something very important. She only wished she knew what.

"He's, um, kind of brown, dark brown, with a black mane and tail. He has this white streak down his face, so I named him Mask. I got him on my seventh birthday, when he was just a foal. He's really beautiful, and a great runner. He can go so fast ... we really make a perfect team." She tilted her head to the right a bit. "Do you ride?"

He smiled faintly, mysteriously. "Oh, I've ridden here and there. Do you enter any competitions?"

As the lunch period wore on, Mina became more relaxed around Kyle, and he around her. They created a bubble of happiness and joy around them, laughing and discussing various topics. When lunch ended, Mina was glad to see Kyle was in her third period, and her fourth after that. Fourth was chemistry, and, while they weren't lab partners, they were close together and could pass notes back and forth.

The bell rang, screeching in its loud siren that everyone could finally go home. Mina raced to her locker, eager to run home, tell Loren about her day, and then go see Mask. Slamming her locker closed, she whirled around only to slam into Kyle.

"Ohh!" She looked up into his stormy eyes and looked quickly away. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you!"

He grinned. "Hey, it's okay. Which way are you heading? Maybe I can escort you home. It's getting to be a dangerous world these days."

Mina looked at her shoes and shifted her backpack nervously. No guy had ever spoken to her that way -- he was such a gentleman! She wasn't sure how to react. Taking a deep breath, she looked up and forced a smile. "That would be great. Thanks, Kyle."

The walk home was just like lunch. They talked and laughed, slowly learning about each other. When Mina reached the walk leading to her house, Kyle waved and continued walking once he saw she was inside her house.

Mina collapsed against the door and slowly began examining the day. There was something different about Kyle, something ... dangerous. Like he knew a secret no one else did. Why was she drawn to that?

"Mina? How was school?"

A thought struck her as Loren called out her name. She had seen the same thing, the same knowing of a secret in Loren's eyes.

Shaking her head furiously, Mina drove the thoughts from her mind. There she went, making up stories again. She would have to do something about that imagination of hers.

"Hey, Loren!" she called back. "School was the same old. No homework, for once." She paused. "Loren, can I go riding?"

Loren Fangor looked out from the kitchen at the girl she considered her daughter in everything but blood. While Mina would never replace the child she had left behind, Loren had vowed to care for the innocent Mina as best she could ... Shaking her head slightly, Loren thought about Mina's question. She was spending more and more time with Mask, riding faster and faster. Loren knew there were much worse things that could happen to Mina than getting thrown from her horse, but she still worried. She sighed. Still, it couldn't hurt her right now. The trail Loren had explored today (because she knew Mina would ask) was as safe as any place was in this world.

"The beginning of the trail is marked. Be back by 6," was all she said. Mina grinned as raced out the door to Mask's new stable, leaving Loren to stare at the picture in her hand, the one of the little boy she had had to leave behind.

*****

Authors Note: Okay, okay, I know the beginning was too much like a cheesy romance novel! But I had to show it was love at first sight.


	2. The Reunion

*****

~*~*~*~*~

Mina and Kyle -- Pre-Simming

~*~*~*~*~

Part 2/4 The Reunion

~*~*~*~*~

Loren's eyes were so full of tears she couldn't see the blurry picture of her son before her anymore.

"My little Tobias ..." she whispered, her voice scratchy. "I'm so sorry, can you ever forgive me? I had to leave, I had to take care of Mina. There was nothing I could do! I wish I could just see you one more time ... one more time ..."

YOU CAN, LOREN.

And everything around her, even the air, stopped.

She watched, fascinated, as the steam of her mug of coffee became completely still.

Loren jerked up and looked around, wary. The Yeerks? No, not now, not yet ... Tears lay, forgotten, on her cheeks as she cleared her throat. "Who's there?"

Suddenly, the air opened. Loren couldn't tell where it was ... in front--no, behind! Wait, there, to her left, right, above her ... space opened, and the Ellimist appeared.

He seemed to be an old man, but an energy radiated from him that indicated he was anything but frail. A blue aura surrounded him. His eyes were black, and looked like they were full of stars.

Loren's eyes widened. Not the Yeerks, then, but a friend. "I know you!" she whispered.

The Ellimist nodded once. "Hello, Loren. We have not met in many years."

"Why are you here?" she asked angrily. Loren tried to be fair, but he was part of the reason she could see her son no more.

"I have come to grant your wish, Loren," the Ellimist said. "I have come to show you Tobias."

Loren stopped breathing. Her senses focused on the Ellimist intently. Did she dare believe him? Did she dare take up hope which had avoided her for so long?

Yes, she thought. I dare.

"What do I have to do?" she asked, her voice betraying nothing. Too many years running from an enemy she couldn't see had made her cautious around anything and anyone.

"Nothing," he said simply. "Come with me."

Suddenly, Loren was whisked away into the sky. There was nothing beneath her feet, and for a moment, she shuddered in fear. Then, seeing as she wasn't falling, she observed, a skill she had relied on for so long.

She was above a forest. To the west she could she a city, but it could have been anywhere. Loren had no idea where she was. The Ellimist was no where to be seen.

Looking around her, she was amazed to see she was not alone in the sky. A hawk flew directly beside her as she raced above the ground! And there, to its right, an eagle! Behind her, two ospreys, a falcon, and a harrier! What was going on?

I WILL LET YOU HEAR THEIR THOUGHT-SPEECH.

-body remember the last time we tried to do this? We barely escaped. As usual.

Loren might have jumped into the air, if she hadn't been there already. A voice inside her head! But she hadn't heard thought-speech since Elfangor disappeared.

Elfangor. An Andalite. Her husband.

Marco, is it possible in the slightest for you to be optimistic, just once in your life? A female voice.

Apparently, they couldn't see or hear her as she floated next to them. That was fine by Loren. The less they knew about her as she learned more about them, the better.

I can be optimistic when I want to be, retorted the first voice, now dubbed Marco. It's just that going into the Yeerk Pool isn't exactly my idea of a party!

Loren gasped. The Yeerk Pool! These must be the Andalite Bandits she had heard rumors about; the ones who fought Visser Three valiantly.

Besides, the voice continued, it's hard to be optimistic when you're considered dead by, let's see, the whole world. I'll never be able to get a drivers' license ... There was a pause. And I'll never be able to date a girl again! It was obvious that, despite the desperate words, 'Marco' was joking around.

A new male voice spoke up. Marco, since when did you date any girl in the first place?

Loren froze. She knew that voice. She had never heard it speak before, but it was too much like his father's to be a coincidence.

"Ellimist!" she called. "Is this ... is he ..."

Suddenly, time froze again. The birds floated in place, the still wind caught beneath their wings. But somehow -- vague outlines, wispy ghosts, or otherwise -- she also saw the true bodies of the birds. There were five humans and one Andalite. Loren started towards the Andalite, overcome, before she realized it was not her Elfangor.

The Ellimist did not appear.

THE HAWK, he said, IS YOUR SON, TOBIAS.

Wide-eyed, she turned to look at the hawk. Her son.

"But he can morph!" she cried. "How is this possible?"

YOUR HUSBAND GAVE THESE FIVE HUMANS THE POWER TO MORPH. AXIMILI-ESGARROUTH-ISTHILL IS ELFANGOR'S BROTHER. THESE SIX FIGHT THE YEERKS, AND ARE KNOWN AS THE ANDALITE BANDITS.

Loren tentatively reached out a hand to stroke the boy's hair. It seemed she was stroking the feathers of the hawk as well, but Loren didn't notice. This was her son, her precious Tobias. All grown up ...

Loren fell to her knees in the air and cried.

"My Tobias, fighting the Yeerks ... Elfangor, you would be so proud of him, he's done so much for your cause ..." Suddenly, a thought seized her. "Does he know? Does he know of his father, of ... me?"

HE KNOWS OF HIS FATHER, LOREN. HE DOES NOT KNOW OF YOU.

More sobs escaped her. "Please, can I talk to him? Tell him why I had to leave, that I still love him ..."

I'M SORRY, LOREN. IT WOULD DISRUPT THE BALANCE TOO MUCH. ONE DAY ... HE WILL LEARN. BUT NOT HERE, AND NOT NOW.

Touching her son's cheek, tears streaming unnoticed down her face, she nodded. "I ... understand."

THERE IS ONE YOU MUST TALK TO, LOREN.

Suddenly, she was no longer by her son's side. "No!" she cried. "Not yet, please!"

The Ellimist did not answer.

After long moments, she got a hold on herself and glanced around quickly. Then her head shot back up, all her muscles tensed to protect herself.

Taxxon!

Taxxons were cannibalistic worm-like aliens. They were willing hosts for the Yeerks, but not even a Yeerk could retain its slave-like control when blood was split and the Taxxon wanted to feed.

Why the hell had the Ellimist brought her here?

The Taxxon leaped toward her! Before Loren knew what happened, it had its upper body raised, ready to strike her down with an enormous blow.

Yeerk! it cried.

Stunned, Loren's head whirled. This was too much. "How can you talk in thought-speech?" Then, she remembered the one Taxxon who could. "_Arbron_?"

The Taxxon froze. How do you know my name?

Loren shook her head and muttered, "I'm not even sure myself ..." Speaking up, she continued. "It's Loren."

Gasping, the Taxxon scurried back. Loren? Elfangor's human?

Loren sighed. Even stuck in morph as a Taxxon, this Andalite was still as arrogant as she remembered. "Yes. Elfangor's human."

What are you doing here?

"I don't know," she answered, shaking her head. "The Ellimist brought me here. I suppose to talk to you." She looked up at him, her eyes soft with pity. "How are you, Arbron?"

The years have not been kind, he answered. While the Taxxon Resistance seems to be causing trouble of our own, I have my own, personal torment to deal with.

"It must be so awful for you." It was hard for Loren to imagine what Arbron, once a proud Andalite, must feel after being reduced to a Taxxon with its endless hunger.

Yes, he sighed. But there was one that brought a little joy to my life. He is gone, back with his own people now. He stared at her with his four, Jello-like eyes. He was a human.

Loren inhaled, shocked. "A human? Here? For how long?"

Around 11 or 12 years. I saved him, and raised him as my own son. Arbron sighed again. I knew, though, that he had to go back. Live his life among his own kind. Like I never could, he finished, whispering.

Loren didn't know what to say. They stood there for a long moment.

Perhaps you have met him, he asked, his voice full of hope. His name was Kyle Star.

Loren's head snapped up. "Kyle Star. Tall kid, long brown hair, blue eyes, that Kyle Star?!"

Yes! Arbron nodded excitedly. That is him. Have you seen him?

Loren slowly nodded back. "Yeah. He's friends with my ... daughter, Mina."

Amazing, Arbron said. It must have been fate that brought him to you.

"Perhaps. But how did he get here?" she asked.

Arbron sighed. From what we have been able to determine, Kyle's mother gave him up when he was born. For some reason unknown to us, she was on the Andalite homeworld at that time. An Andalite family took him in and raised him until he was two years old. Then they decided to send him back to live with his own people. But, there was a malfunction ... they crashed here. We barely managed to save Kyle, but there was nothing we could do for the Andalite. Arbron paused, remembering. I raised him as my own son. I protected him, and I loved him. But I knew he had to go back one day. He was, of course, taught about the Yeerks. One day, he wanted to fight them. I wonder if he is getting his chance now ... Arbron trailed off.

"I-" Loren was interrupted.

LOREN. IT IS TIME TO GO.

Your pet Ellimist? Arbron would have smirked. I wish you luck, Loren.

"I wish you hope, Arbron," she responded.

One more thing! he cried. If you talk to Kyle, tell him ... tell him I said, 'An Andalite among the Hive Mountain suffers as a Yeerk under my hoof.'

Loren nodded, tears in her eyes for Arbron's tortured soul. "I will," she said simply.

Then she was gone.

~*~*~*~*~

Kyle stood silently in the shadows while he watched Mina and Mask gallop around the horse pen.

Mask, a stunning stallion, was barely breaking a sweat. Kyle knew from his long discussions with Mina that he had been bred to run. That was one of the reasons she loved Mask so much. Calm and confident, Mask was a picture of freedom.

But Kyle only had eyes for Mina. Though wrapped in layers against early December's biting winds, she appeared just as free as Mask. Bent over the horse, the wind streaming its fingers through her long hair, she literally took his breath away. Instead of controlling and dominating Mask, Mina had a partnership -- no, a friendship with Mask of nine long years. Mina and Mask seemed to know each other's thoughts before the other did. Kyle doubted there were very many people in the world that could make that claim about a bond with their horse.

Kyle often wondered where Mina went when she was riding. He knew it was somewhere special, somewhere sacred. Perhaps that was why he hadn't asked yet. He felt it was somewhere he could not yet enter.

Sighing, Kyle rested his head against the stable and closed his eyes. He remembered vague memories, of riding on horses when he was a child. Only, these horses had blue or purple fur and a deadly tail ...

Mask whinnied and Kyle jumped, startled, all senses on alert. Looking into the ring, he saw Mask standing still, and Mina, watching him, smiling at him. Smiling back, Kyle wondered, not for the first time, what it was that so attracted him to her.

Mina was beautiful, there was no doubt about that. But Kyle had spent so little time among his people, he sometimes wondered if he knew what beauty was. He knew she had the most beautiful eyes he'd ever seen, big, brown, always questioning, always curious. He supposed it could be anything about her -- her intelligence, her sense of humor, the way she chewed on her pen -- but mostly he believed he was in love with her because she was so innocent, so trusting.

Whatever Kyle felt for Mina, though, he would never show. They were friends, nothing more. If they ever became anything more, he would have to tell her everything -- and he couldn't take the innocence from her eyes.

Mina dismounted, and Kyle's smile changed to a grin as he headed to meet her.

"Hey, stranger," she said, breathless. "You should have told me you were coming!"

"I called your house, but Loren said you had already gone." He fell into step with her as she led her horse.

Loren Fangor was Mina's caretaker. She watched people, just like Mina. Apparently, she had been watching Kyle very closely, because she finally cornered him that night.

Mina had gone out on a quick errand for Loren, which wasn't unusual. Kyle stood in the living room, waiting for her to come back, when Loren spoke, and his soul froze.

"I know about you."

Slowly turning to face her, Kyle regretted never having brought his Dracon beam to Mina's house. He tensed to attack, but Loren kept talking.

"I spoke to Arbron. He mentioned you."

Shocked, Kyle stood there, not knowing what to do. "You ... you talked to Arbron?" he stuttered. "But ... how?"

Loren nodded. "I did. He told me about you, about your past. I'm sorry."

Slowly, Kyle's brain caught up with what she was saying. She had talked to Arbron, his previous guardian! But Arbron was with the Taxxons. Hell, Arbron _was_ a Taxxon!

He stared at Loren suspiciously. "How do I know you're telling the truth? How do I know you're not a Controller?"

Controllers. People he spend all of his time fighting, watching for them over his shoulder. A Controller was a host with a slug-like Yeerk wrapped around their brain. While some hosts were voluntary (traitors to their species was how Kyle referred to them), most were slaves, their freedom gone. They could only sit in a corner of their mind and watch while the Yeerk controlled their body -- and forced their family into infestation.

The invasion of Earth was very quiet. Not like the Hork-Bajir or the Taxxons. The Hork-Bajir had been turned into pawns of the Yeerks and the Andalites, the centaur-like race who found the Yeerks. Most of the Taxxons had been willing hosts, but there was a Resistance. Only a few of those free on Earth knew what was happening. Anyone else was a Controller.

Kyle had lived with the Andalites for the first two years of his life, before an accident had dropped him into the laps of the free Taxxons and Arbron.

"Good questions," Loren answered. "Questions asked under times of war. I am sorry one as young as you must be involved in this." Suddenly, Loren got a far-away look in her eyes. "I was about your age when I was pulled into the Yeerks' battle. But," she brought herself back to the present, "Arbron suspected you would ask. He said to tell you, 'An Andalite among the Hive Mountain suffers as a Yeerk under my hoof.'"

Kyle slowly relaxed. Arbron had said these words to him when he was twelve years old, after having seen for the first time a Taxxon eating another. Frightened and confused, Kyle had run to Arbron, demanding to know why they did this. Arbron, a once proud Andalite trapped as a _nothlit_ in a Taxxons body, had said those words, and then explained his meaning. He said, that while he was away from his people and everyone he held dear, when he was afraid he would repeat those words to himself and remember he would have to be strong, even though he suffered. Two years later, when Arbron had taken an angry Kyle to his home planet of Earth, he had spoken these words once more. Now, standing in Loren's living room six months later, Kyle finally understood what Arbron had meant.

He and Loren spoke quickly about Arbron and how the fight against the Yeerks was going. Loren had moved closer to where the Yeerks' activity was centered, on the West Coast. She had heard rumors that Visser Three had been promoted to Visser One, and was stepping up the invasion of Earth. The only thing standing in his way were the "Andalite Bandits."

No one actually knew who the Bandits were. Some thought they weren't Andalite, but human, others a mixture of the two races. All Kyle knew was they fought the Yeerks, which made them allies in his eyes. Some day he hoped to meet these Bandits.

The conversation stopped as they heard Mina's steps on the walk. Kyle quickly asked one more question that he hadn't gotten an answer to. "Loren, how did you talk to Arbron?"

Loren smiled mysteriously. "An Ellimist helped me."

Kyle stared at her. "An Ellimist?! A children's story!" he scoffed. Loren just smiled again, and turned to welcome Mina, who was walking in the door.

Later that night, Kyle mulled over what Loren had said. Ellimists were said by the Andalites to be all-powerful. But those were only children's stories. Ellimists weren't real. Secure in this knowledge, Kyle continued walking to the boys' home, yet he had the nagging feeling he would be proved wrong someday.

~*~*~*~*~


	3. The Danger

*****

~*~*~*~*~

Mina and Kyle -- Pre-simming

Part 3/4 The Danger

~*~*~*~*~

"Come on, Kyle!" Mina called over her shoulder. "Can't you go any faster?"

"This stupid horse!" he shouted back.

She smiled and pet Mask's neck lovingly. "I should have given him a slower horse," she muttered. "At least then he could keep it under control." Mask reared his head and snorted at her in response.

Hearing a whinny and a startled cry from behind her, Mina turned around in her saddle to see Kyle crashing through the brush towards her. Her eyes widened in alarm. He was on a collision course with her, and he couldn't slow the horse!

"Mina!" Kyle cried. Quickly grasping Mask's reins, Mina jumped over a fallen tree and off the trail. Kyle went flying past, doing all he could to hang on.

"Go, Mask!" she shouted. Mask immediately took off after the runaway horse Desperado, practically flying across the ground. Mina berated herself for talking Kyle into this. He had never ridden a horse before! And she had managed to pick the exact one that would give him trouble. _If anything happens to him,_ she thought, _it will be all my fault._ Tightening her jaw, she resolved that nothing would happen to Kyle, and she urged Mask forward.

"Hang on, Kyle," she shouted calmly. She must keep him calm. "Where are the reins?"

"Somewhere around my right shoe!" he called back, in the same tone of voice. Looking quickly, she saw what he meant. The reins were draped precariously over his right foot.

As Mina struggled to work out how to get the horse to stop, it suddenly veered off the trail. Mask, running like the wind, turned and followed.

"No!" Mina gasped. As if things couldn't get away worse!

Think calmly, she told herself. Deep breaths. You _must_ get Kyle out of this. After all, you put him there.

"Kyle! Are you holding his mane?"

"This horse is half bald already," he responded. At least he was being light about the situation.

"Get a good handhold!" she said, while Mask pulled up next to the horse.

"Why?" he asked. They were close enough to whisper, except for the pounding of the horses' hooves.

"Because," Mina said, "the horse is going to rear up when I jump onto it."

Kyle's eyes widened comically in shock. "Mina, you can't! Wait, stop-"

Mina stood up in the saddle. Mask didn't even seem to notice. They had begun practicing this move when Mina was ten. Tensing her legs beneath her, she jumped ...

... and landed hard behind Kyle on the horse.

Astounded, Desperado reared, just as Mina had predicted. This caused Mask to shoot ahead of the horse, but it gave Mina precious seconds to wrap her arms around Kyle, grasp a handful of mane, and _yank_.

Amazingly, the horse slowed to the point where Mina could bring him to a halt, a combination of her pulling and the shock of someone jumping on his back. Still pulling on his mane, her arms wrapping around Kyle, she stopped the horse, and jumped down to grab the reins. She looked up, grinning at Kyle, to see horror and amazement on his pale white face.

"You ... I ... that horse ..." Mina giggled. For once, Kyle seemed to be speechless!

"Come on, get down before you kill yourself," she replied to his stuttering.

Without a word, Kyle climbed down from the horse and glanced around. Following his lead, Mina also looked around to see where they were. It was then that fear started gnawing at her. The horse had galloped really far off the trail, and now Mina had no idea where they were.

"Kyle, do you-" she was cut off but his hand over her mouth.

"Shh ..." he whispered. "Do you hear that?"

Mina strained to listen. She heard voices, coming from somewhere near them, and she nodded to Kyle.

"Come on," he said. "We've got to hide!"

Dumbfounded, unsure of why he was so worried, Mina led Desperado and Mask and followed Kyle behind a cluster of trees and rocks.

"Kyle," she whispered. "What's wrong?"

"I heard voices. Now, please, be quiet!" He didn't even look at her as he talked; he simply watched the clearing warily. Mina bit her lip, wondering why he was so afraid of being seen. Maybe he was just being extremely cautious. Loren was like that, sometimes.

Mask snorted, and both she and Kyle jumped. "Keep the horses quiet!" he hissed.

Mina thought she heard a whir of machinery, the kind of noise that one might hear from an elevator. Then, she heard a thump. Tending to the horses, she did not see what it was that made Kyle gasp.

Too quickly for her to even register what he was doing, Kyle threw himself on top of Mina and they both tumbled to the ground.

"Don't make a sound!" he hissed, his hand covering her mouth again.

Mina became angry. She tried to push him off of her, but he was too strong. At that moment, the voices started again.

"_Glarash_ Andalites! Waste of _rothi_!" It was a guttural voice, but it wasn't speaking in all English. What language was that?

"Quit complaining. We must follow the Visser's orders. If he thinks they'll attack the Pool through this entrance, who are we to argue?"

The voice was softer than the first, and when it started speaking, Kyle gave a low growl. His hand still over her mouth, Mina couldn't ask him what was wrong. She could only speculate.

From the sounds of pounding feet coming through the ground, she guessed there were about thirty people out there. They must have been heavy, though; their footsteps thumped against the ground harder than most.

Amazingly, the horses had been quiet until then. Unfortunately, Desperado ruined the silence by snorted at something he didn't like.

"The Andalites!" the second voice cried. "They have horse morphs! Search them out!"

Mina heard the sound of brush being ripped through. Suddenly, Kyle rolled off her. "Come on!" he said. "Get on Mask and _run_!"

She ignored the fact that she had no idea what was going on. "What about you?" she cried. "You can't ride on Desperado!"

Kyle's eyes had taken on a wild, yet determined look. "I'll ride on Mask behind you. Now get on!"

Without a second thought, Mina jumped onto Mask's back, then reached down a hand to help Kyle up behind her. Desperado would follow instinctively, so she didn't have to worry about him. Mina felt Kyle wrap his arms tightly around her waist.

For one second, time seemed to come to a standstill. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. She leaned down, and whispered one word into Mask's ear.

"Run."

Mask shot off like a bullet.

Mina closed her eyes against the wind, feeling its coolness on her face. She let Mask do what he had been born and raised for: running. However much she might have tried, this was his territory, and she could only sit back and let him take control. It was how their partnership had always worked.

Unconcerned as to which direction they were heading, Mask led them deeper into the woods. Eventually, the sounds of shouts behind them faded away, leaving only the two horses pawing up the ground as they ran. Kyle soon shook Mina's shoulder.

"Mina, I think we lost them," he said simply.

Mina's eyes flew open as she snapped out of her trance. She took a moment to remember where she was, then half-turned to eye him.

"Mask," she said, still looking at Kyle. "Stop."

Obediently, Mask slowed to a walk, then halted completely, Desperado following suit. The latter bent to nibble grass, but Mask waited until his riders had disembarked before deigning to eat.

Mina turned to Kyle and looked him straight in the eye. "Tell me what just happened back there," she said quietly. "Who, or what, were you so afraid of?"

Kyle stood still for a long moment. "I can't tell you," he said finally.

"Why not?" Mina's voice raised.

"Because ... I can't explain. You just need to trust me right now. I know who those ... people are, and all they would have done is hurt you and me." He looked at her, his eyes pleading. "Please, Mina. I can't tell you why. Maybe someday I can, but for now ... you need to trust me."

_Kyle,_ she thought, but didn't say aloud, _I trust you with my life ... and my heart._

Instead, she simply replied, "I trust you."

Kyle slowly blew out a breath. "Okay. We need to get back to the city." He glanced up, worried, at the darkened sky. "It's getting late. Do you have any idea where we are?"

"North of the city and east of the trail," she said. "Beyond that, I don't know. I'm not allowed to explore off the trail."

Suddenly, a drop of water hit her nose. Mina wiped it away angrily. Apparently, the night wasn't the only thing darkening the clouds.

Kyle, looking at the clouds once more, made his decision. "We can't go far tonight. We'll have to find shelter. Come on," he started off. "We have to hurry!"

Quickly grabbing the reins of the horses, Mina followed. Content to focus on their immediate survival, she pushed her questions for him back into her mind for another day.

~*~*~*~*~

Check back in soon for the fourth and final part to the story of Mina and Kyle!


	4. The Resolution

*****

~*~*~*~*~

Mina and Kyle -- Pre-simming

Part 4/4 The Resolution

~*~*~*~*~

Weary, Mina leaned against the hard rock of the cave gratefully. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kyle do the same. The trek through the pounding rain had not been easy on either of them. All she wanted to do was rest, but now that she knew someone was chasing them, she supposed they would have to keep watch.

_Even if you don't know why they're chasing you,_ she said to herself.

Kyle turned to study her. "You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she responded. "It's good to rest, though."

"We'll have to wait until this storm passes to find out where we are and how to get back home," Kyle said, sighing. "Do you know how to make a fire?"

"If there were any dry wood left, sure," she answered sarcastically.

"Fate must be with us, then." He raised an eyebrow, jerking his head towards the back of the cave.

Mina followed his gaze, and saw timber and sticks against the wall.

"Wow," she said dryly. "What a coincidence. There must be some great faery watching over us, eh?"

She saw Kyle frown, as if seriously pondering her question, but then he shook his head.

"I wouldn't suppose," she continued as she walked toward the wood, "that you would have matches or a lighter with you?"

"No," Kyle answered causally. "I wasn't expecting to get lost after riding on a crazed horse this morning when I came to school."

Mina winced slightly in guilt. She quickly glanced up, to make sure Kyle hadn't seen it, and was relived to find him focused on the wood.

She walked to the front of the cave and looked at the pouring rain. "How long do you think it will last?"

"Well into the night," he answered. "We'll have to stay here. Your horses should be fine back there. We'll be able to go home tomorrow morning."

Mina sighed. "Loren will be going crazy."

"Don't worry," Kyle said. "We'll be fine."

She shook her head ruefully then looked at the dark sky once more. Words that would be empty platitudes from anyone else always seemed like more when Kyle said them.

"Yes!" he shouted, and a small fire blazed into the dreary darkness. Mina moved to it, sitting close for warmth while Kyle built up the fire. She rubbed her arms, annoying at only having worn a short-sleeve shirt. When she went riding, she loved to feel the wind, not only through her hair, but across her body as well.

She looked into the flames, watching them swirl and twist around themselves, performing an intricate dance of heat. Fire always fascinated her -- not in the sick way some pyromaniacs were fascinated, but because of the way it moved, flowing around itself, an energy impossible to harness, to capture.

Looking up, she saw the light playing across Kyle's features: his rough jaw, his cheeks outlined in shadow, his deep blue eyes. His long dark hair looked lighter, like it was on fire itself.

She stared at him for several moments before she realized he was staring back. His eyes were soft, a ghost of a smile flickering across his lips. He was studying her, as well. And Mina didn't look away.

They stayed that way for a few moments, tracing the other's features with their eyes until Mask snorted, and Kyle looked away.

As if by mutual consent, they moved around the fire so they were sitting next to each other, their backs leaning against the cave wall. They stared into the fire, the only sounds the pounding rain and their breathing. Mina drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around them.

"You should get some sleep," he said finally, still gazing at the fire.

"Yeah," Mina agreed. "What about you?"

"I'll sleep, too," he answered after a moment, and she knew he was telling the truth. He knew lying to her was useless by now.

"What if they find us?" she asked, and felt absurd for worrying about an unknown threat.

But weren't the unknowns always the most dangerous?

Kyle was silent for a long time, and she thought he wasn't going to answer her. Then, he said in a whisper, "I'll protect you, Mina."

She had never felt more safe than at that moment.

In the morning, she awoke to Mask's tongue. The fire had burned to embers and ashes. Her head was on Kyle's shoulder, his head tilted onto hers.

"Okay, okay, I'm up," she grumbled at Mask. Oh-so-gently, she slid Kyle's head to lean against the wall, and stood without waking him. Stretching, she walked to the mouth of the cave, peered out at the chirping forest. Everything was still wet from the storm, and the smell permeated the air.

Now that she could see the sun, Mina knew she could find her way home. Turning back into the cave, she knelt by Kyle and gently stroked his hair out of his face.

"Good morning, merry sunshine," she started reciting softly. It was a distant poem, one she could hardly remember the words to. "How did you rise so soon? You woke up all the buttercups, and scared away the moon. I watched you go to sleep last night, while I was out to play. How did you get way over there ..."

She trailed off, frowning. She didn't remember the last line. Staring at the cave wall, she struggled to recall the final line to the litany.

"****," Kyle said softly.

Mina's head jerked to face him. "How did you know the poem?"

"I'm not sure," he answered, shifting to a more comfortable position. "I think someone used to say it to me, when I was little."

She stared at him for another moment, then stood and turned to the horses. "I know the way back now. I don't know how long it will take, but I do know the direction."

Kyle stood. "Then let's get going." He moved to Desperado, but Mina stopped him.

"No way are you riding him again," she said firmly. "You'll ride on Mask, I'll take Desperado."

He eyed both horses warily. "Are you sure? I mean, Mask doesn't know me that well, and Desperado is a menace to society."

"I'm used to dealing with menaces to society after hanging around you," she teased lightly. "And as to Mask, you've known him for almost eight months! Of course he knows you. Now get on, you big baby."

Such insults, of course, had no impact on Kyle, but he climbed up anyway. Mina set out at an easy trot, enjoying the sounds and sights of the forest as she went. Despite the unknown danger that had chased them, she felt that last night was very peaceful, overall. Sleeping against Kyle's shoulder had felt so right ...

_Stop_, she commanded. _Kyle is a friend. Nothing more. You know that._

After half an hour, they finally reached the outskirts of town. From there, it only took a few minutes to get to the barn. Kyle gave the horses to a stable hand while Mina called Loren.

"Oh, God, you're safe! Where have you been? I have-"

"Loren," Mina interrupted, her heart speared with guilt. She had worried Loren so much! "Kyle's horse went psycho, we got lost. We spent the night in a cave. I'm fine." _Why don't I tell her of the people chasing us?_ she wondered to herself, then answered, _Because it would just worry her more, that's why_.

After a few more assurances that she was fine, Mina hung up the phone. Turning, she found Kyle walking towards her.

"Loren's coming to pick us up," she said. He simply nodded in response.

They waited for a couple minutes, silent. Finally:

"Kyle?"

"Yes, Mina?"

"Promise me you'll tell me someday."

"Mina ..."

"Not right now. But someday, someday, tell me what happened in those woods."

There was a long silence. Then, "I promise, Mina."

The matter was never spoken of again. When Loren disappeared, Mina was only a year away from being able to live on her own. Instead of being moved across the state to stay with a foster family, Kyle helped her run away. They lived in the same cave from years ago, sneaking a visit to Mask every now and then. A little while later, Kyle started getting bursts of unexplainable pain. Worried, Mina insisted that he go see a doctor. Finally, he agreed.

"Stay here," he commanded as he left. "Don't you move from this cave. I promise I'll come back."

He didn't come back that night, or the next, or the night after that. Mina would sit, huddled against the cave wall, refusing to cry. If she cried, it would mean he was truly gone.

A week went by before he appeared again.

"Mina," he said simply, standing at the cave's entrance.

With a cry, she leapt to her feet, and fell into his embrace. A single tear tracked its way down her cheek. "I thought ..."

"I've found some people, some friends, who can help us," he said softly, stroking her hair. "I think they'll let us stay with them. They're an odd bunch, but we'll be safe with them." _In more ways than one,_ he added to himself. _The "Andalite Bandits" -- in whose house would you be safer?_

"You trust them, Kyle?" Mina asked.

"I do," he answered solemnly.

"Then let's go," she said, smiling. "As long as we're together."

"Together," he nodded.

Mina and Kyle left the cave to begin their lives as Animorphs.


End file.
